Emerging From The Cocoon

Today's the day.  I know it's going to be a shock.  We drove the car out yesterday and we're going to town.

MM and I have not been off this farm since January 15th.  To be perfectly honest about it...we screwed up.  Before these successive white waves of mounting snowfall began to pile up, we should have driven the car out to the gate and parked it just off the one lane road.

Our excuse is that we didn't take winter seriously.  Seriously.  Winter always comes and goes--especially in December and early January, and usually rather gently at that.  A flurry here, a light dusting of snow there, snow showers, and mixed precipitation.  Who would have thought that by January 15th, we would get NO breaks in the weather to be able to move the car down to where we had a possibility for getting out?  Unheard of!  Even in the "old times" folks have no memory of this kind of weather event.

But the funny thing is that over a period of 62 days, we didn't feel deprived by not being able to leave the farm.  Except for the generous help of a couple of feed store employees who delivered pig feed and a couple of sacks of dog food on their way home, and one care package of some sugar and some dishwashing detergent from a dear friend who sidetracked her own trip to town to make a delivery--all of this left at the gate--we didn't run short of anything.  It was a physical struggle to lug 350 pounds of feed up from the gate.  But, overall, we didn't hunger for anything--especially food.

On the other hand, if Congress is counting on consumers like MM and me to fuel an economic recovery, we are in a whole lot of trouble as a nation!

But, the ground has thawed, the snow is almost gone, and we're free to travel.  At least until we have other weather challenges to face.  We're hoping the river doesn't flood.  Many people would be impacted severely were the Greenbrier to decide to climb its banks; we're hoping for normal rainfall this year for the garden:  Goldilocks style--not too much, not too little, just right.  No droughts, no deluges.

So now, we are left with the perennial mud.  We can deal with that so long as we don't drive on the road and churn it.  Thus, we will travel in the early morning and late in the evening, out here, JOTOLR when the ground freezes again.  This routine will last a few days, maybe a week (if it doesn't rain) and then we'll be able to come and go as we choose.

Did we miss not being able to get out?  Did we feel deprived, imprisoned, hungry for civilization?  Not in the least.  Is my list of things to get, today, long?  Nope.  I can count the number items on two hands.  Did we learn anything by being "locked in?"  I suppose having the car more conveniently positioned for getting out would have been the safer thing to have done.  It would have eased our minds for the possibility of an emergency.  And, it's time for new library books (but I've learned a LOT about China!)  I am out of Chai; we're out of cocoa with which I make MM's beloved homemade chocolate ice cream.

On the other hand, now that the bonds of captivity are loosed, and we are "free," aside from today's trip out, I can't think of a reason in the world that I wouldn't be happy, once again, to shut the gate JOTOLR and stay home for another four weeks or so, enjoying the awakening spring.